Oops! Ab Kya?
Rating – ***1/2 (3.5/5)
Cast: Shweta Basu Prasad, Sonali Kulkarni, Apara Mehta, Aashim Gulati, Abhay Mahajan, Jaaved Jaaferi, Amy Aela & more
Directed by: Prem Mistry & Debatma Mandal
Produced by: Dice Media
Streaming on JioHotstar
You can watch a gazillion shows, be disappointed by most, pleasantly surprised by a few, but one thing remains constant—preconceived notions. The teaser and trailer of Oops! Ab Kya? on JioHotstar set up expectations for a breezy, lighthearted comedy filled with humorous mishaps and entertaining chaos.
A classic case of mistaken circumstances, right? But what you don’t anticipate is a surprisingly gripping narrative spanning eight episodes that extends far beyond its inciting incident—an artificial insemination mishap leading to a virgin protagonist carrying a baby that wasn’t meant for her.
An official adaptation of the hit series Jane The Virgin, Oops! Ab Kya? wastes no time carving its own path. By the third episode, it begins to transcend the core premise of its source material—in the best way possible. The sheer volume of unfolding events could easily have been a recipe for disaster, yet the show miraculously weaves its multiple flavors and genres into an engaging, wildly entertaining narrative.
What works wonders is its meta-humor, self-awareness, and intentional messaging. At first glance, the sitcom-style treatment may not appear groundbreaking, but as the story unravels, its cleverly layered storytelling reveals itself.
At the center of this delightful pandemonium is Roohi (Shweta Basu Prasad), the glue that inadvertently binds multiple lives together. She is refreshingly flawed—a woman striving to be better, all while struggling with her conflicted emotions for two men.
On one side, there’s Samar (Aashim Gulati), a wealthy, conventionally smoldering Justin Baldoni lookalike standing at the crossroads of his fate, and on the other, Omkar (Abhay Mahajan), a simple yet incredibly supportive detective-boyfriend. The love triangle oscillates between intense, unpredictable twists and laugh-out-loud moments, never allowing certainty to settle in.
But to define Oops! Ab Kya? solely by its romance would be a disservice. The plot sprawls into so many directions that summarizing it might require an entirely separate article. And therein lies the brilliance of the writing and direction—despite the whirlwind of subplots, the show never loses its grip. Rarely do we come across a popcorn entertainer that juggles multiple themes while balancing believability with just the right amount of absurdity.
The humor lands more often than not, largely owing to the razor-sharp delivery of seasoned performers like Sonali Kulkarni and Apara Mehta, who play Roohi’s mother and grandmother, respectively. While the show hooks you with its central love triangle, it’s the three-generation dynamic between Roohi, her mother, and her grandmother that truly steals the show.
Their banter, deep-rooted affection, and unfiltered honesty provide the heartwarming undercurrent that keeps everything grounded. Kulkarni and Mehta deliver powerhouse performances, effortlessly oscillating between comedy and poignant emotional depth.
Of course, Shweta Basu Prasad herself shines in a role that demands an intricate balance of chaos and composure. As Roohi, she seamlessly embodies the struggles of a young woman who, despite having a stable boyfriend, is forbidden from sex (lest she “break her gullak” before marriage), all while dealing with her growing attraction toward the biological father of her baby.
Adding to her plate is the revelation of her own father’s past abandonment, and an earth-shattering twist that leaves her reeling. It’s a performance that requires both restraint and emotional dynamism, and Basu Prasad navigates it with remarkable finesse.
Other standout performances include Jaaved Jaaferi as Roohi’s father—a middle-aged soap opera star grappling with his past mistakes—and Amy Aela as Alisha, Samar’s wife, whose villainous antics are as delightfully despicable as one could hope for.
And then there’s the character of Roshni, the unwitting catalyst behind the show’s entire mess, whose presence adds yet another layer of unpredictability to the narrative.
That said, Oops! Ab Kya? isn’t without its quirks. The show stretches itself, teetering on the brink of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy—ironically mirroring the soap operas it cheekily satirizes. Twist after twist arrives at such breakneck speed that tonal inconsistencies begin to creep in. But just when you’re about to question its plausibility, it pulls you back in, making you laugh, gasp, and crave more.
In the grand scheme of things, Oops! Ab Kya? gets far more right than it does wrong. It could have easily succumbed to the trap of “too many cooks spoiling the broth,” yet it manages to turn its excess into its charm. A chaotic yet oddly satisfying guilty pleasure, it hooks you with its unpredictability while keeping just enough logic intact to avoid total absurdity.
And just when you think you have a grip on things, the season ends with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger—one that leaves no doubt that this is only the beginning of this wild, dysfunctional, and utterly compelling saga.
